Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-02-25
THE MAGICAL MASCOT.
A Visit to tho Great City of the Plains

"a
From the Lawrence Daily journal.
The legislative excursion arrived from
their wanderings al $50 Sunday morning.
During their three days out they travelled
about 6G0 miles, visited many wonderful
cities, travelled farther and have seen cities
more magical in their sudden and wonder
full growth than those visited by the fam
Gus wanderer Ulysses. The visit to Wichi-
ia was of course genuine surprise.
The mildest screams of the EAGLE are in
adequate to convey an idea of the rumbling
and the rafting and the roar of activity
there witnessed No city in Kansas ever
witnessed anything that holds any compar-
ison or resem blance to Wichita. 1t is Chi
cago recreated on the plains of Kansas.
And what causes all this phenomenal
growth and activity, this passionate excite
ment and sudden acquisition of wealth? 1t
is impossible to divine the causes. An en-
chanter's wand seems to have been held
over the city and from the sands and sterile
soil have sprung up ceaseless activities that
have builded city without parallel in
the rapidity and solidity of its growth.
The causes are inexplainable. Wichita
has no water power, no manufactures
worth speaking of, no state institutions,
and has received little aid from the gen.
eral government. The forces that have
accomplished these wonderful results must
be inherent, local and personal, derived
from the matchless energy, the great pub
lie spirit, and the unity With which all the
people act to bring about desired purposes
Wichita is with her people regarded as
81 Il &c
great state the Arkansas valley the richest
in the world, and Wichita the central fig
ure, the one bright, luminous spot in the
valley, in the state of the world. The
great blocks, the feur-story buildings, the
public enterprises of this city are the out
ward expressions of this matchless, ener-
getic and resistless force.
1t is easily to be seen what Wichita does
with her money. Her citizens spend it in
building more big blocks. The real estate
men are the princes. They make fortunes
in week, put the money into business
blocks, and these add to the boom. If the
real estate men should quit spending
money they would cease making money,
and there would be a visible decrease in
the boom. The crowds of restless, eager,
hopeless and eXpectant money makers that
throng Douglas avenue and Main street
show the intensity and force of the people
Every man moves as if he had lived in Chi
cago or Wall street all his life.
The fortunes made sound like fables
and fictiOns read and told but never BE-
ieved. Foriy-twO sections of land are laid
)ut. The city is now several miles square;
street cars run for miles in a continuous
iir.ction. Corner lots sell at $50, coo. |
Dining room girls deal in real estate; COM
non 1aborers take options in real estate |
POOLS: ministers make fortunes in outside |
OTIS. Senator John Kelley, Wichitas ia |
,orite son, thirty days ago took an option |
IN sec, 600 piece of property. He paid |
800 down. In twenty days he sold the
for $4,000, reserving a fine
flock thus making $40, 600 on an invest
nent of 500. Nixon Elliott, an old La
ette county friend of the writer, came
ver here six years ago, with a small
ursery stock. The trees were stored
a a cheap building and it burned, con-
uming his entire stock. The next morn
lg he opened UP as real estate dealer.
lie bought on Douglas avenue piece of
property for IS, 800 On time. He now can
ell it readily for 500, 900 A twenty acre
[act bought by him promises still greater
eturns. His rents amount to $500 per
600 a year. He must be worth
veil on to quarter of million.
But the most wonderful growth of all is
hat Of the Wichita EAGLE, more phenom-
nal than that of the Kansas City Times or
Journal or the Chicago Tribune
nd Times One hundred thousand
lollars would not buy the property. Its
equipments are perfect and all its appoint
nents complete. Its editor, Col. NJ. NJ
1urdock, has the finest editorial rooms Of |
ny paper west of New York St. Louis,
lineage and Kansas City are not excepted
a this observation The Colonels room is
least three times larger than DR.. Mum
ords, and its equipment and adjournment
ost more than all the equipments of all the
iitorial rooms Of the Kansas City Times
! the great Times building, Dr. Mumford's
pom included. And as the buoyant editor
the EAGLE looked around with supreme
ltisfaction upon his surroundings he re-
larked to the writer: These, Mr.. Kick
~ Bird, did not cost me cent. They
ere all the gifts Of gentlemen friends in
Wichita. They were determined to ap-
relatively remember their mascot. and
he gorgeous and picturesque decorations
ceiling and walls, the splendid furniture
nd rich Wilton carpets are the results of
lat determination.